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Jaguar F-Type greets US, shows off range of personalization

While the debut of the XFR-S is likely fresh on everyone's minds and browser windows, the other big story of late at Jaguar is the F-Type coupe and convertible. Originally unveiled in Paris, the LA show was the first opportunity that the sub-XK performance machine will be seen Stateside. However, it was not just the same news that we first heard in Paris, as Jaguar used LA to showcase its newly available "Black" design pack.
This styling package includes gloss black finishes for the grill surround, side vents, a flat-bottomed sport steering wheel, gloss black interior touches, and instrument panel rings. This package is available with Ultimate Black, Polaris White, Italian Racing Red, Rhodium Silver, Grey and Firesand (seen above) body colors.
The Black pack can be had on either the 3.0-liter supercharged V6 model, or the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 version. Specific additional "Black" tweaks are available based on which derivative you select. Specifically, a gloss-black rear valence is a V6-only modification.

Jaguar F-Type to pace Bloodhound SSC as rapid response vehicle

The Bloodhound SSC is out to beat the world land speed record, but it can't do it all on its own. The team is going to need a motorcade of support vehicles, like this specially equipped Jaguar F-Type. Outfitted by JLR Special Vehicle Operations with radio equipment and a unique livery, the Bloodhound SSC rapid response vehicle is based on the latest F-Type R AWD coupe. It'll serve a similar role that a pace or safety car does for a race, and be called into service in case of a high-speed emergency. The Bloodhound SSC itself will likewise be equipped with the same 5.0-liter supercharged V8, its 542 horses powering the jet-car's hydraulic system and oxidizer pump. The special F-Type will mark its debut at the Coventry MotoFest later this month (appearing again at Goodwood next month) alongside a '56 Long-Nose D-Type, the one-of-a-kind '66 XJ13, a '76 Broadspeed XJ12 Coupe, and the XJR-9 that won Le Mans in 1988. JAGUAR TO DEBUT BLOODHOUND F-TYPE RAPID RESPONSE VEHICLE AT COVENTRY MOTOFEST - World debut of Jaguar F-TYPE R AWD Bloodhound SSC Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) at Coventry MotoFest (30/31 May) - Jaguar's 5.0-litre supercharged V8 550 PS sports car will support Bloodhound SSC World Land Speed Record attempt - Jaguar will be at the heart of Bloodhound SSC providing its 5.0-litre 550PS supercharged V8 engine to provide hydraulic services to the car and drive the rocket's oxidiser pump - Jaguar also previewing Goodwood Festival of Speed activity at MotoFest with a host of iconic heritage cars (Whitley, Coventry – 20 May 2015). Jaguar will unveil the F-TYPE R AWD Bloodhound SSC RRV at Coventry MotoFest – one of the cars that will support the Bloodhound world land speed record attempt. The Bloodhound F-TYPE R is the latest project of Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations and is wrapped in a bespoke livery created by Jaguar Design incorporating the Bloodhound SSC colours. This year's MotorFest promises to be bigger than ever with a range of attractions and gigs. The organisers close off the Coventry ring road to public traffic in order to host a number of motorsport activities and the Bloodhound F-TYPE will be taking part in laps on Saturday May 30 and Sunday May 31. Jaguar will also be previewing its activities at the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed – the theme of which this year is 'Flat Out and Fearless: Racing on the Edge' - by bringing along some of the most iconic cars from its rich heritage.

Recharge Wrap-up: Jaguar's aluminum recycling, lithium demand rises

Jaguar Land Rover has recycled over 50 metric tons of aluminum over the past year. As Jaguar celebrates a year of sales of the XE – which makes use of recycled aluminum – its closed loop recycling program has prevented some 500,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions. The XE is the first car in Jaguar's REALCAR (short for REcycled ALuminium CAR) program, and the company says it has recycled an amount equal to almost 200,000 XE body shells. "Its success so far marks a significant step towards our goal of having up to 75 percent recycled aluminium content in our vehicle body structures by 2020," says Group Engineering Director Nick Rogers. Check out the video above, and read more from Jaguar. Electric vehicle manufacturers are putting a strain on lithium supplies. Since the metal is used in the batteries of most electric vehicles, demand is expected to grow by 8.8 percent a year through 2019. While Tesla has deals with natural resource companies Pure Energy Minerals and Bacanora Minerals, they won't be able to keep up with the automaker's goal of 500,000 EVs by 2020. Tesla, BYD, and other EV manufacturers are going to be competing for these resources, and new lithium firms will enter the market to compete for automakers' business. Read more in the press release or the blog post from Market Research. Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) has announced a new funding opportunity for building public EV charging infrastructure. DEEP is accepting applications from private entities for awards of up to $10,000 for installing a public dual-head charger or two single-head chargers, for up to 17 new charging stations. It prefers proposals for underserved areas with major traffic, such as downtowns. Connecticut has a goal of putting 3.3 million EVs on the road by 2025. Read more in the notice from DEEP, or visit DEEP's website. Car clubs are responsible for the removal of about 25,000 cars from London roads. According to a new survey, every club car removes 10 private cars, as club members sell their own vehicles. The survey of 4,000 Londoners also shows that carsharing members drive an average of 750 fewer miles every year after joining. London is currently home to 186,000 car club members using 2,800 cars, while the UK's 220,000 club members use over 3,800 club cars. Also, many car clubs offer access to electric vehicles, which helps to further reduce emissions.